Method of producing gas



(No Model.)

A. W. PUTMAN-CRAMBR.

METHOD 01EI PRODUOING GAS.

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ANTHON YV. PUTMANGRAMER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW? YORK.

METHOD OF PRODUCING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,366, dated July 28, 1885.

Application tiled October 30, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

le it known that l, ANTHON W. PUTMAN- Curtains, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county ot Kings and State ot' New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Method ot Producing Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of gas by the decomposition of steam or waterin the presence o carbon, whereby there is produced a mixture composed mainly of hydrogen and carbonio oxide, which may have added to it hydrocarbon vapor to forni an illuminating gas, or be used without the addition of such vapor as a heatinggas.

M y invention consists in an improvement. in the method ot' making gas by the decomposition of water in presence ot' carbon, consisting in subiecting a body of carbon to the inl iiuenee ot currents ci' air to produce combus- 1 tion therein, mingling air with the carbonio oxide evolved from the said body of. carbon, heating another body of carbon by the burning ot' the mixture oi' air and carbonio oxide, and passing steam directly to and through both bodies ci' carbon si muitaneously, whereby both bodies ot' carbon are made effective in decomposing steam.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section ot an apparatus t'or carrying out my improved method. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof'. ligz is an end elevation thereof; and l'ig. l a horizontal section on the plane or' the dotted line af tr, Figs. land 2.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

rlhe appa ratns may be built ot' tire-brick or other refractory material, inclosed in a shell or casing ot' plate-iron, as is usual in struct,- ures of this class.

A. A designate two chambers, which are separated in part by a wall or partition, Ait, which may be strengthened by a metal plate, n, or in any other suitable manner. ln the chamber A A are grates b I1', and B designates a chimney which connnnnicates with the chamber A atc, below the grate b therein. the top ot' the chimney B is closed by a valve, d, which, as shown, is carried by an arm, d', on a roch-shaft, (l2. On said shai't is a pulley or sheave, d, and by means of a chain or other connection, di, passing over guide-pulleys df",

` and to a point within reach of the attendant,

the valve d may be raised and opened or closed. At the top of the chambers A. A are feeding apertures c, closed by lids or covers c', haw-ing a sand or other air-tight seal. I have shown each chamber A A' as having belowits grate and on opposite sides apertures or openings f, for cleaning, and above the grate and on opposite sides throats or openings g, for einptying the chambers when desired. These are all to he closed by suitable doors. shown.)

C designates a main air or blast pipe, which may lead from a fan, blower, or other suitable blowing apparatus, and C designates the valve which controls the passage of air from this main pipe() through branch pipes C2, extending on opposite sides ot' the apparatus. rlhe branch pipes C2 are connected athl with the throats or openings fot' the chamber A, and are thence extended upward to a point above the grate b in the chamber A', (as here shown, near the top thercof,) where they communicate with and supply air to the ch amber A. through one, two, or more tuyeres, It', two being here shown.

D designates the main steam-pipes, from which b anches D extend on opposite sides ofthe apparatus, and these branches communicate at several points, i. with the chambers -A A', below the gratos therein.

E designates the pipe through which the gas is conducted from the apparatus.

inthe opera-tion of the invention the chambers are both iilled to the desired height with carbonaceous material, and the valve d. being opened and the valve in the gas-outlet pipe E closed, airis admitted through the pipes G2 and branches or tu yeres h hf to the chamber Abelow the grate and the chamber A above the grate. The oxygen ot' the air in passing upward through the fuel in the chamber A combines with the carbon and produces carbonio oxide, which is ignited when it meets the air entering through the tnyeres hf, and the heat resulting from the combustion of the carbonio oxide in passing downward in the chamber A heats the carbon contained therein. W'hen deep lires are run in the chambers the tnyeres h are immediately above the iire in the chamber Af, and the air there entering mingles with the carbonio oxide and produces combustion.

(Not here ICO inthe mass of fuel in the chamber A. The combustion ofthe carbonic oxide in the chamber A renders the latter far more effect-ive in heating the carbon in that chamber, and hence the supply of air to the chamber A does not have to be continued long after the carbon therein has reached a decomposing temperature in order to bring the carbon in the chamber A to that temperature. It will be seen, therefore, that an important saving in fuel is effected by my invention.

When the carbon in both chambers reaches a decomposing` temperature, the air-valve Cf is closed, the valve cl is also closed, and the valve in the gas-outlet pipe is opened. Steam is then introduced at z', and, passing upward through the incandescent fuel, is decomposed, and the gas, consisting mainly of hydrogen and carbonic oxide, is taken off through the pipe E. Vhen the fuel in the chambers cools so as to render decomposition imperfect or impossible, the admission of air is repeated and the operation carried out as before.

The steam will be converted into gas composed mainly of hydrogen and carbonio oxide by passing through one body of carbonaceous material of sufficient depth, and by using both bodies of carbon simultaneously, for purposes of decomposition, I enable a very great volume of gas to be produced in an apparatus of comparatively small size.

I am aware thatin apparatus heretofore made it has been customary to employ two bodies of heated carbon and to pass steam first through one body of carbon, whereby it is decomposed,

to then add hydrocarbon vapors to the products of decomposition and to pass the mixture through the second body of fuel. By such method the volume of gas produced only equals the capacity of the first body of carbon for decomposition.

My method differs essentially from the above, in that I pass steam directly to and through both bodies of carbon simultaneously, and decomposition is being effected simultaneously by both bodies; hence, with two bodies of carbon of equal size and temperature, I can decompose about twice the volume of steam and produce about twice the volume of gas that is possible by the old method.

/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' The improvement in the method of making gas by the decomposition of water in presence ot' carbon, consisting in subjecting a body of carbon to the influence of currents of air to produce combustion therein, in mingling air with the carbonic oxide evolved from the said body of carbon, in heating` another body of carbon by the burning of the mixture of air and carbonio oxide, and in passing steam directly to and through both bodies of carbon simultaneously, whereby both bodies of carbon are made effective in decomposing steam, substantially as herein described.

A. W. PUrMAN-URAMER.

W itnesses C. HALL, FREDK. HAYNEs. 

